At my wits end and just need to vent...

Hi Guys, I've never posted here before but i just need a moment to vent. I'm going to be 4 yrs post op in Nov and in the last 5 months i have gained 30 pounds..oh yes.. iam dangerously close to the dreaded 2's once again....and its furstrating. Primarily becuase my diet hastn' changed much in the last 3.5 years. i eat as healthy as i did before...but i have lupus and i have been on and off hte prednisone alot recently adn even looking at the bottle i feel myself swell. the one thing i'm doing differently is i haven't been able to excersice as much lately. i've been flaring pretty bad and moving has been hard..so to say i'm at my wits end is an understatement. If i have double-stuff oreo'd my way up these 30 pounds i at least would feel justified caues dammit i would have deserved it and it woulda tasted good! But alas...and i'm sorry i'm venting...but i'm frustrated and considering i only eat about 900-1100 calories a day i'm not sure even where to start to get it off once i'm off the roids again. Excersice i know...but any suggestions on anything else for a boost? Thanks for listening. heather

I'm really sorry about your predicament. Steroids are such a nasty thing... Necessary, I know, but that doesn't really help when you feel like the Stay-Puff man, I know... I did a stint of steroids years ago for some illness or the other, can't remember what, and man, I remember... They were horrible... I hope the lupus settles down soon and you're able to get off the prednisone....

Heather, can you do water aerobics? There are several places here that offer an arthritis type pool exercise. You can make it as aerobic as you want. Steroids can be nasty. But it's not your fault. Don't beat yourself up so much. Have you talked to your rheumatologist about it? Maybe there is something else you can take that has less effect on your wt. Be religious about what you are eating. Stay away from the carbs and stick to protein and lots of water. Altho, I'm sure you have to monitor protein levels and kidney function. Talk to your WLS doc and rheumy. They work for you. There has to be a solution. Take care of yourself mentally too. Try not to stress out too much as that isn't good for your Lupus. As long as you are eating correctly, you just have to be patient until you can get off the roids. Call your doctors!

Heather, have you tried taking Plaquenil? It is an antimalarial that is sometimes used to treat the inflammation of Lupus. My partner has taken this in the past and it does not have any of the nasty side effects of prednisone. Of course, it does come with its own set, but they are not as bad. Just a thought. XOXOXO, Sharyn

Heather, so sorry to hear what you are going thru. I too, have been in that same position with steroids and Lupus several years ago. I can understand you being at wits end. All the advice given is right on target. Know we all understand and try to be patient and do the best you can. I will be thinking of you, keep us posted, we are all supporting you Linda